Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1887-08-18
CONTAGI0N CARRIERS.
FLIES, POSTAGE STAMPS AND MONEY
coNVEYoRs OF DISEASE.

Don't Hold Change in Your Mouth.
Cigar Wrapper Infection-The Public
Towel-The Germ Theory of Disease.
Growth of the Bacillus.
Flies, aside from being pests, are actually
conveyors of contagion. The fly can COM
municate virus from an open sore, and can
carry this from one person or place to
another. This may not be credited, but it
has been proved by direct experiment to be
not only possible, but an actual fact The
common house fy, by lighting on a diseased
spot, either in an animal or a man, and then
passing to healthy subject has been known
to impart the infection TO the latter. Whether
the poisonous matter be an animal virus or a
germ Of disease, a bacillus, does not matter;
and in this connection it is well to speak Of
other common methods of possible disease in
fection. A postage stamp may in various
ways convey contagion. One of the simplest
and most plausible is that in which postage
stamp, partially attached to a letter TO pay
return postage, is sent by person infested
with some disease to another person The
disease is transferred, in the first place, tothe
adhesive stamp through the saliva, and in be-
ing attached to the letter by the receiver the
poison NAV be transmitted to him in turn
through the saliva.
Another cause may be the infection Of the
stamp with disease germs. The stamp, hav-
ing been exposed in a room where diseased
person lies, may become slightly moistened
and thus retain the germ. That this is true
can be proved very simply by a microscopical
examination. We often see person holding
charge for moment in the mouth, probably
not knowing that investigation has shown
that disease germs can be carried by money
II one could see through what hands the
money has passed, they would hesitate before
using such third hand. Silver money is as
bad as paper money; but while many would
hesitate to hold dirty bank note in their
mouth, they think that silver piece, because
bright, is apparently clean.
Cigars may convey contagion, especially
syphilis. We have seen a note In which g
physician gave as an excuse for not loanfng
light to friend, that be was afraid Of con-
tsgion; but If be was so afraid he should
have been consistent and refused to smoke
the cigar. Cigar wrappers are in the cigar
factories, especially in Cuba, moistened with
the lips and tongue, and the girls who roll
the wrappers are by no means of the highest
reputation. Disease can be carried in this
way Anyone who uses towel in common
and comb, or any requisite of the toilet, runs
the risk of possible infection
The germ theory of disease is to most peo-
pie a very vague one. There is a general idea
that disease is carried by germs, and that the
air is filed with these, and it is a wonder to
most people that every one is not so afflicted,
the laity conclude that the germ theory is an
absurdity and a contradiction They do not
consider the element of fertile soil The
germ is the same as a seed, and all organic
bodies are reproduced by seed. We must
plant seed in a soil suitable for it. and the
surroundings-heat and moisture-must be
adapted to it if it is to grow As we descend
in the scale of organic life, we find that some
Of the lower animals can hardly be distin-
guished from plants, and these are reproduced
not by seed, but by process of division or
budding. A part of the animal is divided
and separated, and forms new animal
As we descend in the scale, we find that in
stead of seeds we have spores, as in ferns: but
these serve the purpose of seeds, and demand
a fertile soil before they can grow. Ofmany
million spores, but one or two may serve
their purposes; the rest die without giving
any result As we descend still lower. we
find that fungi and molds need not only a
fertile soil, but a peculiar soil, and many Of
them will not grow except in or on another
organic body.
The theory of disease germs is founded on
the knowledge of the actions of the lower
animals and plants. The bacillus may be an
animal or it may be q plant, poisonous in
itself or simply carrier of contagion. It
may even be a result of disease, and have
nothing to do with its cause except as a
foreign body. Still as we find it pres mt, and
find it always present. we are necessarily in
duced to believe that it is an active agent,
but in order to reproduce itself 1t must havea
fertile soil. This it finds, as a rule, in per-
son whose constitution is run down from
overwork. lack of rest, poor living or disease
1t may be introduced into the system, directly
into the blood, through an open wound, thus
inducing septicemia, a state of poisoned
blood, or it may be introduced indirectly into
the blood through the alimentary system. In
this case it must be inhaled or eaten with
food. In either case it is absorbed, or per-
haps actively works itself through the
mucous membrane Once in the blood, the
bacillus grows, as a rule, by division, and
mulhplies to an enormous extent-GM I. E."
IN Technics